


Pictures  Don’t Lie

by stew (julie)



Series: Reno's ex-wives [1]
Category: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension (1984)
Genre: F/M, Filling In the Gaps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1988-07-16
Updated: 1988-07-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22192111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julie/pseuds/stew
Summary: Perfect Tommy wants to know the story behind Reno’s remark about his first wife.
Series: Reno's ex-wives [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1604251





	Pictures  Don’t Lie

**Author's Note:**

> **First published:** in my zine “Samurai Errant: Cavalier Tales Quixotic and Profane” #1 on 16 July 1988

# Pictures Don’t Lie 

“The hell they don’t.  
I met my first wife that way.”

♦

“So tell me what you meant,” Perfect Tommy slurred. “About meeting your first wife.” 

Reno leant forward to top up their glasses with bourbon. When he put the bottle down, it could be distinctly seen that it was almost empty. He leant back out of the light again, so that all Tommy could see were his booted feet up on the table and the light glinting in his eyes. The bunkhouse, usually cozy and crowded, loomed empty and shadowy around them. “I’m not drunk enough to tell you that little story,” Reno said. 

“I’m drunk enough to insist. Because I think I might actually fall asleep soon. So you better tell me now.” 

“Hell, I ain’t never seen you this drunk before, Tommy.” 

“I just wanna stop thinking tonight.” 

“Saving the world’s a worrying business. Especially when you almost don’t.” 

“I wasn’t thinking of that.” 

Reno sighed. “Yeah, I know.” 

“So drink up and tell me about your first wife.” 

“Well, it’s a funny sort of story, in a sad sort of way.” And Reno paused reflectively. 

“Oh, go on, for heaven’s sake.” 

“I was seventeen, and she was sixteen, and in Nevada back then, that was just the age you got married. Her name was Mary-Louise, and she lived in a little town no one’s ever heard of, along with some of my cousins. 

“I was visiting them for Thanksgiving. I was the city-kid, from Carson City, so everyone thought I was hot shit, with my skinny black tie and pointed shoes. 

“It was Mary-Lou’s debut, and Luke, one of my cousins, was going to partner her. There was a photo of her. It was beautiful, Tommy. Man, she looked a sight. She looked like everything I’d ever dreamed of in a girl. If you can remember what your dream was when you were seventeen, maybe you can picture her.” 

“I remember,” said Perfect Tommy. 

“Demure and sweet, but beautiful with a spark of fire. And so young and fresh. A little wry smile, like she knew she’d have this effect on me. I just sat there staring at the picture. 

“She was perfect. My aunt and cousins thought this was hilarious. It became the juiciest bit of gossip around town that the city boy had fallen for the photo of the debutante. 

“Everyone in town got caught up in this fairy-tale romance. They gave me a copy of the picture, and told me all about how wonderful she was. I never got to meet her before the ball – everyone kept us apart, building us each up to the other. They must have told her I was some sort of knight in shining armor, come on a white charger to carry her away.” Reno snorted. “Hell, _me_! What lies they must have told. 

“We were in the high street once, me and Luke and the rest of the guys, and I saw her. I recognized her immediately amongst all the other girls. They’d just been at the dressmakers or some such thing. And she shone out from among them, with that same wry little smile as they bustled her off, everyone giggling. If it was a movie, they would have shot it in slow motion. She turned her face back to look at me, laughing over her shoulder, she flung her hair back – she had the most beautiful long blond hair, Tommy. Her smile added piquancy to her sweetness. She’d look so demure until you saw her eyes and realized that she had a very independent mind of her own.” And Reno stayed lost in his, thoughts for a moment. 

“Anyway, Luke broke his leg, so I became her partner by default. To this day, I swear he did it deliberately. 

“Mary-Lou and I finally met at the ball, each expecting – the whole town expecting us to fall in love. You’d think we’d have had more sense, but we were young enough and silly enough to do just that. We each thought the other was our dream come true. And we were wrong. 

“I think I proposed that very night. The whole thing happened so quickly. And then we settled down to realizing that neither of us was what the other wanted. 

“Ah, she was lovely, Tommy, and sweet. We were happy for a while. But I was no knight for her rescue. And she wasn’t the girl I had seen in the picture. She was sweet in her own ways, but she wasn’t her, she wasn’t my dream. The picture was a lie.” 

“Hell, Reno. What a life you’ve lived.” 

“Nothing to be jealous of.” 

Tommy swallowed the rest of his bourbon. “So tell me about your second wife.” 

“Ah, no, not that tale. It’s time for bed now, Tommy.” Reno stood, and helped Perfect Tommy to his feet. “Come on, I’ll help you along.” 

“But I want a bedtime story!” Tommy protested. He yawned hugely, spoiling his sulky pout. 

“Tomorrow night.” 

“Promise?” 

“If you’re not too hungover to remember. I promise.”

♦


End file.
